Automotive body panels and other multiple-layer manufactured articles could be made lighter if an efficient method could be devised for bonding a metal sheet to a polymeric surface. For example, the weight of body panels could be reduced if a relatively light weight metal or polymer panel could be easily attached to a heavier metal panel. The light weight panel could be of a different metal alloy or of a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer material. There is a need to join dissimilar materials in many manufactured products to provide design flexibility and improved material usage.